This volume contains 39 contributions presented at the IUTAM Symposium on Mechanics of Granular and Porous Materials. The Symposium reviewed the current understanding of the constitutive behaviour of porous and granular solids, based on experimental data, numerical simulations and micromechanical models. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted, involving the fields of solid mechanics, materials science, geomechanics, chemical engineering and mathematics. This book emphasizes the development and use of constitutive laws to model practical processes such as mixing, drainage and drying, compaction of metal and ceramic powders and soils, and instabilities associated with these processes. A common theme is the development of constitutive models from an understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms of deformation and fracture. The volume should be of interest to researchers and to engineers concerned with measuring and predicting the response of granular and porous solids for structural applications.

Metal foams are at the forefront of technological development for the automotive, aerospace, and other weight-dependent industries. They are formed by various methods, but the key facet of their manufacture is the inclusion of air or other gaseous pockets in the metal structure.
The fact that gas pockets are present in their structure provides an obvious weight advantage over traditionally cast or machined solid metal components. The unique structure of metal foams also opens up more opportunities to improve on more complex methods of producing parts with space inclusions such as sand-casting. This guide provides information on the advantages metal foams possess, and the applications for which they may prove suitable.
Offers a concise description of metal foams, their manufacture, and their advantages in industry
Provides engineers with answers to pertinent questions surrounding metal foams
Satisfies a major need in the market for information on the properties, performance, and applications of these materials

This volume constitutes the Proceedings of the IUT AM Symposium on Mechanics of Granular and Porous Materials, held in Cambridge from 15th to 17th July 1996. The objectives were: 1. To review existing experimental results and practical phenomena on the flow and compaction of particulate media; 2. To review the current state of constitutive models, and their implementation for predicting the macroscopic response. 3. Identification of the shortcomings of existing models and procedures in understanding practical phenomena. The Symposium brought together the research communities of solid mechanics, materials science, geomechanics, chemical engineering and mathematics to review current knowledge of the flow and compaction of granular and porous media. The meeting emphasised the development and use of constitutive laws to model practical processes such as mixing, drainage and drying, compaction of metal and ceramic powders and soils, and instabilities associated with these processes. A common theme was to develop constitutive models from an understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms of deformation and fracture. It was particularly rewarding to find that the separate research communities came together during the meeting and came to a consensus as to the main mechanisms of deformation and failure of particulate and porous solids.

Solid cellular materials (foams, lattice materials, honeycombs, etc.) are attractive and have resulted in the creation of an active subject for structural, mechanical and material scientists in recent years. Indeed, constant progress in the manufacturing techniques are improving their properties and reducing their costs; and mass productions and industrial applications are beginning. An important mechanical problem is how to characterize and model the mechanical behaviour of these materials, which is necessary for industrial design and numerical predictions involved in various applications such as light weight structures, energy absorbers. This volume contains twenty-two contributions written by distinguished invited speakers from all part of the world to the iutam symposium on mechanical properties of cellular materials. It provides a survey on recent advances in the characterisation and modeling of the mechanical properties of solid cellular materials under static and dynamic loading as well as their applications in lightweight structures analysis and design. This volume will be of interest to structural, mechanical and material scientists and engineers working on different aspects of this new class of materials (for example in microstructure observation, micromechanical and multiscale modeling, phenomenological models, structural impact behaviour and numerical validation).

Solid cellular materials (foams, lattice materials, honeycombs, etc.) are attractive and have resulted in the creation of an active subject for structural, mechanical and material scientists in recent years. Indeed, constant progress in the manufacturing techniques are improving their properties and reducing their costs; and mass productions and industrial applications are beginning. An important mechanical problem is how to characterize and model the mechanical behaviour of these materials, which is necessary for industrial design and numerical predictions involved in various applications such as light weight structures, energy absorbers.

This volume contains twenty-two contributions written by distinguished invited speakers from all part of the world to the iutam symposium on mechanical properties of cellular materials. It provides a survey on recent advances in the characterisation and modeling of the mechanical properties of solid cellular materials under static and dynamic loading as well as their applications in lightweight structures analysis and design. This volume will be of interest to structural, mechanical and material scientists and engineers working on different aspects of this new class of materials (for example in microstructure observation, micromechanical and multiscale modeling, phenomenological models, structural impact behaviour and numerical validation).